Fact-Check | Denial of Forced Transfer of Ukrainian Children by Senior Russian Official

The forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia has led the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants in March for Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, for their roles in the abduction of children from Ukraine. On May 1, 'Vice News' conducted an exclusive interview with Maria Lvova-Belova, who manages the camps and institutions responsible for the forced transfer of Ukrainian children. In this interview, Lvova-Belova used the opportunity to deny the allegations, stating, 'We do not use children for political purposes.' She described the 'evacuation of people and children from areas where their lives and security are threatened' as Russia's right, adding, 'These children were already in Russia,' and that their transfer to camps was 'completely voluntary.' However, these claims are false. All evidence gathered by the International Criminal Court, the International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, media reports, academic institutions, and governmental and non-governmental organizations indicate Moscow's illegal efforts to forcibly transfer children from Ukraine to Russia and its occupied territories. The International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, established by the UN Human Rights Council, stated that under international humanitarian law, the evacuation of children 'by parties to an armed conflict' is prohibited, although there are exceptions for temporary evacuations for safety and medical reasons that are not justified in this case. According to this commission, Russia conducted these transfers without contacting the children's relatives or Ukrainian officials. The report states, 'While these transfers were supposed to be temporary, most became prolonged, and parents or legal guardians faced a series of obstacles in re-establishing contact.' The Ukrainian government reported that nearly 1,939 children had been transferred to Russia by April 23, with only 361 children returned to Ukraine. Investigations by the Associated Press also indicate that the transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia was carried out forcibly and without the consent of their guardians, with attempts to use them for propaganda purposes through the granting of Russian citizenship. The news agency stated, 'Raising war children in another country and culture can be considered genocide and an attempt to erase the identity of that nation.' On April 27, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe confirmed that Moscow's actions constituted abduction and forced transfer, labeling it 'genocide.' A report published by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on May 4 emphasized that Russia, instead of attempting to return Ukrainian children to their families, creates obstacles for families. The monitoring group 'Conflict,' a U.S. non-governmental organization funded by the State Department, stated that it found evidence indicating that these Ukrainian children are being subjected to training for Russian propaganda and military purposes. This investigation was later confirmed by Sky News. The monitoring group reported that some parents agreed to send their children to camps in Russia, and those children returned home as initially planned. However, 'Conflict' noted that due to the wartime conditions and the threat from occupying forces, 'the ability of parents to provide meaningful consent' could be deemed questionable. A U.S. State Department-related entity stated: Russia's goal in transferring Ukrainian children is to brainwash them. The U.S. State Department confirmed the transfer of a large number of Ukrainian children to Russian territory. Ukraine requested China to assist in returning children abducted by Russia. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Putin, charging him with committing war crimes.